Heinous
by tick tock tick tock
Summary: "Remember, Rin. Don't let anyone find out that you're not human, because they'll kill you for it." / Fitting in at a new school is difficult, especially if you're some sort of test tube baby with metal limbs and brother cyborgs/stalkers after your head.
1. Prologue

**title**: Heinous

**summary**: Remember, Rin. Don't let anyone find out that you're not human, because they'll kill you for it. / Fitting in at a new school is difficult, especially if you're some sort of test tube baby with metal limbs and brother cyborgs/stalkers after your head.

**pairing**(**s**): Luka/Gakupo, Mikuo/Hagane, Gumi/Gumiya, and others that would give the story away. ;)

**warnings/rating**: T (swearing and violence in further chapters.)

* * *

The house is modest; small and narrow with two floors and a four windows facing the front. The outer walls are painted with chipping white paint, the inside is covered with a pale blue wallpaper that keeps more than the heat in. The red-and-white curtains are drawn, but that's not too unusual at this time of day.

Two people live there; a middle-aged woman with short brown hair and her daughter. No one knows much about the girl except that she seems to be sick - yes, that's probably the reason why her mother never brought her out to play.

"Who are you?"

Pale hands clasp together.

"Rin Kagamine, fourteen years old. I moved here a while ago, from Canada. I speak Japanese and English. I lost my father when I was young, and cannot remember him. I live with my mother, Meiko, as an only child."

"Tell us a little about yourself."

"I like to listen to music. I like classical music. My mother's a pianist, and I learned a little from her, though not much. My favorite color is yellow, or orange. My favorite kind of weather is bright and sunny, and my favorite season is summer."

"Good, Rin. Anything else?"

"I've never been to a school before. I was home-schooled in Canada. Please help me get used to school."

"What do you say, now?"

"Thank you."

The girl bows, a flash of sunlight-bright blonde hair.

"Good, Rin."

Hesitation.

"Rin, are you sure - "

"Mommy, please."

A sigh.

"Rin. Be careful."

"I'll be careful."

"Remember, Rin."

"Mom..."

"Don't let anyone find out you're not human, because they'll kill you for it."

It's the girl who hesitates this time.

"I won't, mom."


	2. Chapter 1

The morning sun came over the red shingles of the Hatsune house, birds chirruping and rainbows visible in reflections in the pools of water from last night's rain. It was a fresh, peaceful morning, almost_ melodic - _

"**_Miiiiiiikuuuu!_**"

It was a... lovely morning.

Mikuo Hatsune staggered through the hallways of his house, blindly throwing open every door he saw ("Sorry, mom. Hey there, doggy. Eh... oops, I'll be goin', sis - _SIS!_") before finding and storming into the leek-scented room of his older sister.

"Good morning, Mikuo~" Miku sang, perched on the stool in front of her makeup table with rollers in the left side of her head and no less than four brushes in the other. "How are you?"

Mikuo Hatsune, the fourteen-year-old victim of the household, snorted, towel wrapped around him and soapy water spreading into Miku's fluffy carpets. He offered her a glare befitting a crazed serial killer, or perhaps, Gakupo without shampoo and raising his arm (still dripping with soap) he slowly, dramatically jabbed at his own soaked head.

"My hair's pink. Pink. Fucking _pink._"

Little miss Miku Hatsune looked up at her younger brother, smiling benevolently. "And?"

"It's pink, goddammit! I look like - like _Luki_, the bastard! I'm _pink_. I'm _pink_, sis!"

"Actually..." Miku waved him closer, and her brother approached with caution. Spinning him around, she allowed Mikuo a lovely view of the back of his head in her princess mirror. "It's pink _and_ purple _and_ red, Mikuo~"

"Dammit, Miku!" Mikuo shot away from her, covering the back of his head protectively. Water whirled out in a ring as he staggered into Miku's (obviously) teal bed. "I can't go to school like this!"

"Don't worry, Mikuo!" Miku smiled benevolently, poking her brother's cheeks. "You look _beauuuuuutiful!_ I'm sure Hagane-san will love your new hairstyle!"

Mikuo practically wilted. "B, but it's pink - red - _but I d, don't like the Hagane bitch!_ I hate her! I hate you! Go to hell, Miku!"

"You'll thank me someday~" the teal-haired girl called, face distinctly saint-like. She sang to herself as she let the rest of her hair down from their rollers and started brushing the whole hump of teal - no small task. But she _did_ love her ridiculously long hair so.

Her phone (blue, sleek, and plastered with those squishy leek stickers than Miku would _die_ for) blipped. Miku took a moment to complete her high twintails with those gorgeous polka-dotted ribbons she'd gotten yesterday before checking the text.

**From: Hagane**

**Is mikuo's hair really pink?**

Miku absentmindedly chewed on a spare ribbon (no leek taste? Hmm...) and quickly sent a reply.

**From: Miku H.**

**Yep! ^_^**

The teal-haired girl happily went back to her primping until 'Hagane' replied.

**From: Hagane**

**:D**

* * *

Luka tied her hair up in a bun as two sausages and two eggs sizzled in the pan. A cheerful cuckoo told her that the rice was done, and the girl hastened in the last of her early-morning culinary activities. Just as she was closing the lid on the second packed lunch, something crashed upstairs.

"B, b, bacon...!" moaned Luki, dashing into the kitchen.

Luka hummed to herself and savagely swiped Luki's hand off the packed lunches with a frying pan.

"But Luka, I'm hungry - " The pink-haired boy oozed over the table, hands fluttering after the lunches as Luka spirited it away.

"Hands off, dear brother." Luka leaned forward and flicked him on his forehead. "I called you to eat breakfast half an hour ago."

Luki sank into a chair, sulking. His hair was sodden - he'd just come back from the gym two blocks from their home. Luka smiled and patted his head.

"Go shower and get ready for school. I _might_ give you a sandwich if you do."

"R-really?" And with that, Luki sprang up and leapt towards the bathroom, slamming the door closed behind him as he turned knobs and grabbed at slippery sticks of soap.

Luka sighed in a motherly fashion and threw together a quick sandwich before going up to her room to change for school. She, Luki, and most of her friends attended Vocaloid Academy, an elementary, middle and high school smashed into one distinguished academy for artistically - _musically_, actually - talented students. And trust Luki to be running twenty minutes late on the first day of school.

Luki. The Megurines were usually away in business trips in various unknown countries of the world, which left Luka to take care of her brother. Luki, fourteen and two years younger than her, and whom she suspected had lost more brain cells in his last rock-climbing adventure, totally not romantic (translation: attempting to serenade Hatsune Miku by climbing up to her window on the third floor) than typically recommended.

To his credit, it was _Mikuo_ who'd pushed him off...

Luki hurried into the kitchen, hair still dripping. Luka sighed again as she pulled out some bread from the refrigerator and slapped together a peanut butter sandwich before handing it to him, silencing Luki's groans("But _Luuuuuka_, nutella!") with a stern glare.

The tall girl checked the kitchen clock. Seven forty. They'd have to hurry if they didn't want to get chased by the fearsome Mr. Al for being late. Luka paused while tying her hair up in a bun and smiled a smile quite far-fetched from her usually gentle mannerisms.

Oh, the things she would do to Luki if they _were_ late...

* * *

"Seeya, bros!"

Ryuto waved his tiny hand as he followed his friends into the elementary building.

"Bye, Gacha~" Gumi waved, an expression of innocent bliss over her face. Gumiya snorted, leaning back with his hands pushed into his pockets.

"Idiot," he muttered, fully aware of the water balloon the nine-year-old genius had planted inside of his big sister's backpack. He'd taken the liberty of removing and _no_, it was just because he didn't want to hear Gumi making a fuss over it, _not_ because he didn't like it when Gumi was upset. Just _what_ are you thinking?

Gumi tugged on his arm. "You're zoning out again!"

Gumiya suppressed his gut instinct to leap back. "That's 'cause I actually have a brain to zone out with, carrot."

Said carrot-loving girl's eyes went wide. "That doesn't make any sense!"

The boy stepped back, turned, and started walking towards the Upper school. "Whatever. We're going to be late."

Gumi let out an indignant _pooooooooh_, falling into step beside him.

"Meanie."

* * *

The alarm clock rang for seven fifty-five - a full hour later than what its owner had set the last night.

"Dammit, mom!"

Lily tumbled out of bed and ran for the bathroom, jerking it open and feverishly tugging her brush through golden-blonde hair. "I'm going to go to school without eyeliner on the first day of school!"

Her mother smiled and laid out some _normal_ clothes for her daughter to wear.

"Anytime, dear~"

* * *

Eight.

A girl with sunlit hair walked to school and enjoyed her first free morning in forever.

* * *

**A/N**

**I'm a slow updater, but I'll try hard on this one! What do you think so far?**

**I own nothing~**


	3. Chapter 2

"They'll kill you for it."

I peek at the passers-by from the corners of my eyes, trying to seem as nonchalant as I can. Luckily, no one seems to be paying much attention to the small girl buried in her white parka, even if it's a new face that's hidden by the hood.

I whisper it to myself again; "Remember, Rin. Don't let anyone find out that you're not human, because they'll kill you for it."

It's a mantra mommy has made me repeat again and again. They'll kill you for not being human.

Well, it's okay. I look human. I can pass as human.

I glance up at the sky. It's probably the fifth or sixth time I've seen the sky, and it's the most beautiful, too. It's a clear day, a few pieces of lacy clouds drifted off towards - wait, that's where the sun's coming from, so east? I must stop forgetting things like these.

It's those other things I must forget.

_Wires . . ._

I made it. Well, almost made it. I can see the school, three square, glass-and-steel buildings one would describe as 'modern', what I presume is the gymn, and another smaller building that I'm not sure what it is. I'm so close, I start hurrying a little, when abruptly I'm tackled roughly from the right.

I cry out a little, arms crossed protectively over my head. Am I under attack? Have those people found us already?

"Ahh~ you're so _cute!_"

I blink. This tone of voice, those words - not hostile? I twist and pry the arms off, wriggling away.

I turn around to see a girl around my age, just a little taller than me (which makes her quite short). Her face is heart-shaped and beaming, with a clean ivory complexion and huge, long-lashed eyes. But what pops out is her luscious teal hair, curled in large ringlets down to her knees, held up by floppy pink polka-dotted ribbons.

I suppose she's extraordinarily pretty.

"Nice to meet you! I live right nextdoors. I'd have caught up with you sooner, only Mikuo - that _stupid_ booie - was wearing his shoes the wrong way and insisted on stopping to fix them. I'm Miku! Hatsune Miku! What's your name?"

She speaks quickly, and I struggle to keep up with her words. This is how real people are!

"I..."

What should I say? What can I say - ?

A teal-haired boy comes up behind her, hands pushed into his gray trousers. He's taller than Miku, and naturally quite a bit taller than me. His eyes and hair are the same color of Miku, and his face is like hers, too - on the feminine side, in fact. He must be Mikuo, I decide. But the way Miku talks about him, he seems younger than her. Or at least her victim. Younger brother, then?

Mikuo looks down on me, expression bored. He's good-looking, isn't he?

"Sheesh, sis. Can't you be satisfied with terrifying one person per day? The poor kid."

"_Mikuo!_ She'll think I'm crazy~ don't make your big sister look crazy in front of neighbors!" Miku cries, clutching the hood of my parka. She swats at Mikuo playfully, then turns back to me. "So, hi!"

"Hello." I say cautiously. One miscalculation, one slip. One little mistake and I - well, it wouldn't be pretty. I must be careful, careful. That's what mommy has taught me, and I know that she's right.

"Aww, you're shy!" Miku's voice hits decibels that I wasn't aware was possible. "Just makes you cuter! What's your name?"

I fix my backpack strap, too aware of these colorful people around me. "Rin. Kagamine Rin."

"Rin!" Miku smothers me in another choking hug, grabs my arm, and starts skipping towards the school. "You're new to this school, aren't you? Winter break's over, so the year's almost over, but we're going to have _sooooooo_ much fun!"

I glance back and see Mikuo grumbling as he hurries to catch up. He sees me and grins reassuringly.

"She's always like that! I'm Mikuo," he calls, and playfully salutes me.

I smile slightly. They seem like good people, the type of people mummy told me to find. Are they the ones that I can call 'friends'?

I turn to Miku, who looks immensely pleased for some reason. Perhaps she's one of those people who are always happy? She shoots a blinding beam straight into my face and points at the school.

"That's Vocaloid Academy! You know what it is, right?"

I nod. "A school for musically talented children."

Miku nods. Her expression turns into one of gentle fondness as she skips through the gate, a very interesting sculpture of shiny metal that looks like a bunch of ribbons and musical notes.

"I'm going to be a singer someday!" She announces, her tight grip slackening a little. "Not sure what on earth Mikuo's going to be, but he's good at drums!"

Mikuo mutters something unflattering. Miku whirls around and pinches his cheeks in reply.

"How old are you, Rin?"

I blink. "Fourteen."

Miku sags a little, but brightens in a millisecond. "I'm sixteen - well, almost sixteen, but that's okay! In Vocaloid Academy, classes are sorted by how good you are! Our homerooms might be different, but we might be in the same classes!"

I smile. "That's nice."

Yes, it'll be nice to be in classes with Miku.

"Yay~" Miku hops around, cheering childishly. "What classes did your mom sign you up for? I'm taking singing, but - " Her eyes light up. "Ohhh! Look!"

She bounds off towards a group of students, gesturing for me to follow. Are they her friends?

There's a girl with long pink hair, smacking a shorter, also pink-haired boy with a sigh of reproach. A green-haired girl clasps her hands and laughs as the boy behind her - her brother? - hangs back, glowering at the rest of the students with an impressive scowl. The girl with long blonde hair and a button too many undone on her blouse throws back her head and laughs until she's breathless. I'm not sure, but these seem to be the type of people who are popular. Their posture, relaxed. Good looks.

Mommy said that popular - famous - was bad. Can I trust them?

"Luka! Lils! Guys~"

They all turn at Miku's voice.

"Good morning, Miku~" the green-haired girl smiles brightly and waves.

"Gumi~!" Miku waves back, plunging into the group with me in tow. "Hey, is Gumiya coming to our school too?"

The green-haired boy - he must be Gumiya - crosses his arms and mutters something under his breath. Gumi nudges him, smiling mischievously.

"Yep, he is!" she says when Gumiya ignores her. She's around Miku's height with short, choppy green hair and wide green eyes. A pair of goggles hang around her neck. "Has to take all his tests today and everything. Starting from tomorrow, he'll be taking classes with us too!"

Miku's smile grows wider, if possible. "Good! This is Rin, everyone~ She's new too!"

Gumi cheers. "Hi, Rin!"

The pink-haired girl smiles and holds out her hand. "Hello. I'm Megurine Luka. And this - " she adds, ruffling the hair of the younger boy, "Is Luki, my brother."

I shake her hand. It's a bit more formal than her friends, but she seems like a good person too, not harmful at all. Except towards her brother, perhaps.

"Kagamine Rin," I reply.

The blonde girl sticks out her hand too, more boldly than Luka. She's the tallest of them all, even taller than Gumiya. "Lily."

"Lily!" Miku frowns, looking very much like mom. "Button your shirt!"

Lily grins, more fierce than happy. "Hey, Miku."

Miku pouts and reaches up to button down Lily's blouse. The girl flashes a devilish smile before she reaches out and tugs on one of Miku's fancy twintails. Miku dances away, faster than I can blink.

"No _touuuuching!_" She squeaks.

Lily laughs. Is she a cruel person? I believe that people who enjoy the pains of others are called sadists. But she reaches over and pats me on the head, her hand surprisingly gentle.

"We're of bunch of crazy bitches, but you'll manage," she says, seemingly unaffected by her coarse language.

I nod.

"It's time."

Gumi squeals. "Gumiya spoke!"

The green-haired boy scowls at her from behind his large glasses. I realize that it _is_ the first time that I've heard Gumiya speak.

"It's eight," he says flatly. "You're going to be late, Gumi."

Gumi pouts. "Fine!"

Miku walks up to me again, linking my arm through hers. "You're new, Rinny, so you have to go to the Admins office to get your homeroom and take your tests. You're fourteen - right? - so you'll probably be with Gumi or Luki or Mikuo~ But I hope you'll be in singing or something with me!"

"Go with Gumiya!" Gumi laughs, pushing the bespectacled boy towards me. "Administrations is on the first floor."

Gumiya grumbles something.

Miku claps her hands. "_Peeeerfect!_ You can go with Gumiya. Gumiya, please help Rin as much as you can! Byeeeeeee, Rinny! Let's eat together at lunch!"

Mikuo waves, as do the rest of... Can I call them my friends now? I'm not sure if mommy will approve. The more people know about us, the more possibility that we may be found out. And that cannot happen. I watch the retreating backs of Miku, Gumi, Luka, Luki, Mikuo, and Lily with mixed feelings. Wouldn't they be harmed too, if those people found me?

I shudder slightly.

"Hey."

I look up. "Yes...?"

Gumiya looks somewhat ticked off, although I have noticed that he seems to wear that expression constantly. "Didn't you hear me? We're going to be late."

I nod and hurry to catch up to Gumiya's longer strides. He's about a head taller than me, with far longer legs. He vaguely resembles Gumi, with the same green hair and blue eyes, but whereas Gumi's face is open and bright, Gumiya's face seems to expres his general hatred for the world. He wears what I suppose is the boys' uniform for Vocaloid Academy; gray trousers, a white formal shirt, a black cardigan, and a green tie. I'm dressed normally in jeans, a sweater, and my puffy parka, since mommy said that I'd get my uniform at school. Gumiya seems to have been here before - maybe he got his uniform then.

We pass a trio of girls hurrying towards the buildings. They're dressed similarly in a blouse, cardigan, tie, and gray skirt - I guess that's the girls' uniform. As I struggle to keep up with Gumiya, I notice that their ties are pink, purple, and red respectively. I recall Lily's tie, draped casually around her shoulders. Yellow.

Customizable ties. Interesting.

"Hurry up, you," Gumiya calls from where he's holding the door open. I hurry through, head bowed as I skirt the inside of the building.

"Thank you," I add. I mustn't forget my manners.

Gumiya only grunts.

The - lobby? I suppose - of the building is wide and spacious, full of dark leather couches and reflective glass tables. The air is cool and scented. Jasmine? No, iris.

Walking further into the building, I can see that the couches extend into a huge atrium, two large passageways branching out on either side. I take a few cautious steps and see that the corridors are quite long, lined with glass doors. I look up and see that this building has five floors. Large glass stairs wind up, and there are tables and couches on each landing. A nice school, I suppose.

"Come on," Gumiya gestures me over to the first door on the right, larger than the others. A sign above the door reads, 'Administrations'. Opening it, he slips inside with no hesitation at all.

I pause.

And smile.

Yes, maybe I'll be able to have a happy life here. Here, at school. But I'll always have to remember. So I say it to myself one last time before I follow Gumiya into the Administrations office.

"They'll kill you for it."

* * *

**A/N**

**oh, Rin. such morbid thoughts. xDD**

**so far, we've met Rin, Meiko, Miku, Mikuo, Luka, Luki, Gumi, Gumiya, Ryuto, Lily, and partally, Hagane Miku. plus the 'trio of girls'. cookies to those who knew who they were!**

**thank you for reading and please review! :)**


	4. Chapter 3

"Kagamine, right?"

It's the fifth time the young woman at the desk has asked my name. I tell her that yes, my name actually _is_ Kagamine Rin, and sit quietly with my hands in my lap.

The Administrations room is actually quite small - a woman with long blonde hair sits at a wide desk directly opposite the door, typing away at her computer. There's a few couches, one which Gumiya and I sit, as far as possible from each other. Gumiya's hunched over in his seat, silvery-gray headphones playing some slow song that I can just barely hear. He seems a bit like the shy type, although I suppose I'm not any better, either.

I think the word for this kind of situation is _awkward_, though I guess I might be a little misinformed.

"Rin... Kagamine Rin."

I look up. The woman looks perplexed as she chews on one bunny-ears-patterned nail. She looks to be the nervous type - her nails are manicured, but it's clear that she bites on them quite a bit.

"I'm afraid..." She clears her throat. "I'm afraid you're not on our database. Or our lists - nowhere."

"What?" My voice is soft and whispery, too small for the woman to hear. "I'm there. My mother enrolled me here."

The woman looks helpless as she swivels her screen to show me the list of students in Vocaloid Academy. I see Miku on the list, and some of her friends too - there's a Kasane, a Kagane, but no Kagamine. No Rin.

"I - " My fingers twitch uncontrollably and I ball them into fists to try and stop and stop the trembling. "But I _know_ that I'm supposed to be here! Mother - mommy said that she couldn't come today because of work, but - "

My knees give way and I plop back onto my place on the couch, heart suddenly thrice its normal speed, my heartbeat hammering in my ears. What's wrong? What's wrong? Something has gone wrong, but what? Am I - did I do something wrong?

Will they kill me?

I'm shaking, I can feel it - my bow jiggling around, hair rustling around my ears, legs jerking hysterically as I desperately try to think. What's wrong? Mommy enrolled me here, I'm sure - is there something wrong? DId _they_ do - something? I'm flushing, I can feel sweat dripping down my back, and to my horror my vision starts to grow hazy and distorted as unwanted tears pool up in my eyes.

Just - I _don't_ want this, I _don't_ want to go back to -

"Hey..."

I freeze. Not physically - my mind goes blank while my body continues to shudder. But I sense Gumiya standing over me, can picture his... _disturbed_ expression as -

"I'm sorry!"

I jump to my feet, grab anything of him - which happens to be his sleeve - and drag him to the door, savagely gulping down my sighs. Gumiya instinctively stiffens and flails around, trying to keep himself from being shunted out of the Administrations room.

"Hey!" He yelps as I push and he leans back and almost falls. "What are you - what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry!" I continue with my pushing; I can be quite strong when I want to. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! _Out_!"

Gumiya trips over his sneaker laces and falls haphazardly on the ground outside. I slam the door, turn the lock until it clicks, then lean against it, breathing a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry," I mutter.

"The _hell_ - ?" I can hear Gumiya getting back up, dusting himself off being banging on the door. "What's up with you?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!" I yell before taking a big, big breath. I manage a wobbly smile for the lady. "Can I please look at the list?"

She stares rather helplessly. "But... I've already looked over it - "

She must have made a mistake. She must've. Because I _know_ that I'm on that list, that I'm supposed to be in this school, that this is all in order. Because I don't want to go back to Mr. K -

I snap my mouth shut in horror when I realize that I've been speaking aloud. I glance at the blonde woman and then give her my best pleading look.

"I - "

Gumiya pounds on the door again, muffled swearing mixing in with the steady thumps. The woman glanced at me, sighs, and lets me control her mouse and keyboard.

I scan the list.

I see Hatsune Miku. Megurine Luka. Gumiya. Ks? There is Kasane Teto, but no Kagamine.

"Rin, it's not that serious," the woman blabbers, going back on her words. "Maybe it's just a computer error, I'll check with..."

My head snaps up as I stare at her, my eyes practically crazed. But no, no, no, _no_ no no no no it's not not that serious _at all_!

I moan. "_No..._"

Something sparks.

"Wha - " the woman steps back, rubbing her eyes.

I glance at my left hand, heart sinking about thirty miles under the earth as I notice the curl of gray smoke coming up from my wrist. I quickly rub it against my shirt, smothering the smoke.

Perfect.

I can barely think, I want to cry but can't due to the fact that I might cry oil, and something, anything, _everything's gone completely wrong and I - _

"Luna?"

Someone knocks on the door.

I jump. "Please don't - "

The woman gets up, hair swishing around crazily. I try to grab onto her sleeve, but she doesn't even notice as she hurries across the room and pulls open the door. It's at times like this that I wish I was taller or even able to use my strength properly.

Instead, I squeak and tumble off the chair and under the table. It's very roomy, seeing as Luna's table is huge, and I curl right up, hugging my knees and burying my face in them. Funny how old habits die hard like this.

"Al, I d-don't know what to _do_..."

"Leave Rin with me, Luna. Go and tell Miriam that she needs to okay the list for Kagamine Rin before it updates."

It's a man's voice, deep and rich, rumbling through the room. Oddly familiar. He sounds incredibly calm as he instructs Luna and strolls over, knocks on the tabletop.

"Rin?"

I stay quiet.

"Rin, it's me. Meiko's penguin friend."

My eyes widen as I make the connection that's been nagging be since I heard him speak. Mommy speaks to him sometimes, pressing her phone to her ear until the back of it gets charcoal-hot. Sometimes I get to say hi, too. And the first time I saw him, I asked him what it was like to live in the south pole. I'd been learning about animals then, and - and well, I was a bit less cautious.

I crawl out from under the table.

The man is big, big, big. Brown-haired, golden-eyed. He looks to be in his thirties, although the laugh lines around his face are quite obvious. Other than looking like a penguin, I did think that he looked a bit like mommy before. He seems to have cut his hair since our last meeting, and the similarity is a little less obvious, but it's still there.

"Hey, Rinnie." The man pulls over a couch and plops down in it, making the polka-dotted couch creak ominously. "Feeling a little nervous?"

Is the man trying to make me laugh? I just had what some people might call a mini-nervous breakdown. This man is _clearly_ the thick type.

I nod, though. Mommy has taught me to be polite. "Why am I not in the list?" My throat feels hot and I'm afraid I might puke. "Mommy said that - "

The man waves raises his hands in a placating gesture. "Relax. Miriam, the headmistress of this school, is a little..." He pauses. "_Hopelessly hostile_ with computers."

I blink.

"In short, she messed up when entering your name. Y'know, you were something of a last-minute applicant, and Miriam just didn't know how to do it. But it's all fine; you're enrolled in this school, don't worry." The man grins. "I haven't introduced myself, have I? You probably know me as the penguin man, but the rest of the world calls me Big Al. You can probably guess why, can't you?"

Big Al talks a lot. But it's helping me calm down, so I smile shyly and nod. "What should I do now?"

"Well..." Big Al gets up, heaving his bulk off the couch. "I'll bring you over to Ann."

I blink, puzzled.

"Ann, Sweet Ann," he says, as if it's supposed to be a joke. "She's my wife, and she oversees the auditions for piano and sometimes, choir. You're applying for both, right?"

Nod.

"Good, then," Big Al swings the door open, long legs carrying him out and away in a matter of the few moments that I remain crouched next to the table, hesitating.

But what can I do, anyway? He may be the only ally I have in this school, or at least, the only ally capable of helping me. And allies are important, if mostly temporary; mommy's lessons must always be remembered.

I push myself to my feet, dash after the penguin man, then whirl back as I barely remember to close the door behind me.

"Rin! _Shit - _"

The grounds not flat, it's tripping me, the ground approaches way to fast - and out of the corner of my eye I see Big Al turning, eyes wide, a snatch of green and black - then my chin _smashes_ into the ground and I manage to let out a quiet, pathetic little shriek.

"Are you... Oh, lord - "

I've heard that voice before, I've heard it - but my chin _hurts_, it feels like something's poking into my nerves or something, and all I can do it clutch my chin and try to block everything out. Eyes pressed tightly shut, bringing my limbs in and curling into a little ball...

_- déjà vu - _

And someones tearing my hands away from my chin, someone' rolling me onto my back and bright light stings my eyes when I open them, just a little bit.

"She just fell, just fell - "

That voice - it's Gumiya's, I realize with sudden clarity. Of course, I'd rudely pushed him out of the office, and he'd probably been close; he'd seen me fall, bang my chin -

Fall?

I sit bolt upright, eyes snapping wide open. I fell?

I'm sitting in front of the door, still half-open. Big Al is crouching to my right, Gumiya bent over but with his knees not quite bent. My lip stings, and I realize that my hands are red and that I've got blood on the floor.

"I'm - " I whisper, but my voice cracks. Why did I fall?

Gumiya glances down at me, and his blue eyes are so sharp that I feel a desperate need to crawl out of sight. He is angry at me, isn't he? I should apologize.

"I apo - "

But that's as far as I get, as Gumiya suddenly loses all interest me and straightens, turning to face Big Al. "Do I need to go get the nurse?"

The large man turns to face him, face pale but his expression calm. "Yes, but can you get some tissues from the bathroom first?" He pauses. "You know where it is, right?"

Even though my head's all bleary and confused, I understand that Big Al is asking him, _Even though you're knew, you can find the way around here, right?_

Gumiya gets it. "I've been coming here with my cousin enough times to get familiar with the layout." And with that, he's gone, long legs carrying him off before I can have another try at my apology. I slump, leaning on the ground before I realize that it's filthy and splattered with my own blood.

It's too familiar a feeling, yet I'm unaccustomed to all this - people, kids, teachers, doing something all by myself while staying on the lookout -

" - Rin?"

I look up.

Big Al looks almost as scared as I am now that Gumiya's gone, but he smiles and his former confidence and good cheer returns. "Let's get you up. C'mon, the chairs in the lobby are much more comfortable than the ground."

I blink and nod, push myself onto my feet. He helps me over to one of the plush leather couches. Too late, I realize the problem. "Blood - "

"That's alright," Big Al pats my head and his hand is so heavy that my knees give way and I plop onto the couch. "Just don't drip purposefully. Gumiya will be back in a sec."

And true to his words, Gumiya is soon back, in his particular gait that's neither walking or running but somewhere in between, as if he is in a hurry but does not want to show it. He's carrying a load of tissues which I take with caution.

"I didn't dip them in the toilet and dry them," says Gumiya, his voice a near-silent grumble. With that, he heads off again, presumably to get the nurse.

I quickly make good use of them, wiping the blood and tears - I didn't even _know_ I'd cried - from my face.

"Do you want me to call your mother?" asks Big Al. "Or go home? If you're so tired that you're tripping over nothing, I don't think you should be - "

I shake my head vigorously. "It's fine, thank you."

Big Al looks at me critically. "Are you sure?"

I nod so fiercely that my head hurts.

The large man looks a little perturbed, but he nods back. "But if the nurse tells you to go home or call your mother, trust her judgement."

I hesitate. I don't want to worry mommy yet - she was worried to death even before I stepped out of the house. I barely managed to convince her to let me walk to and from school alone, and I do not doubt that if she hadn't accidentally knocked over the television in the living room as she rushed in the morning, she would have insisted on walking me anyway. No, I suppose I hadn't really convinced her. And if she was told that I'd been having panic attacks and been falling over nothing on my first day, she wouldn't allow me a full minute away from her medical instruments for at least a few days. She'd notice the cut on my chin, but that could be excused easily enough.

But I suppose I don't have any choice. I nod again, but this time slow and reluctant.

Big Al laughs. "You're holding up remarkably well. My son would've been screaming by now."

I blink. I believe this is a joke... But right now I'm confused and I'm not thinking clearly. "Is this... Exaggeration?"

The man's face falls and he looks incredibly sad for a moment. My breath catches in my throat; have I done something wrong? But he looks at me and smiles kindly. "A little. But Ollie _is_ a bit of a crybaby. Teach him a lesson, eh, Rin?"

I don't _want_ to teach him a lesson; I've learnt that when the sentence is phrased like that, there's always a fair bit of pain and sadism involved. So why is Big Al asking me to do such a thing?

But I nod, since there's nothing else to do.

Footsteps approach, and I look up to see Gumiya with a tall, dark-haired woman. She strides over, eyes cool and professional as her gaze skirts over the pile of bloody tissues on the cut on my chin.

"Not too serious, I hope," she says, voice mild and musical. "How do you feel?"

"All right," I manage.

"Specifically."

Big Al grins behind her and winks. "Mew, at least take her to the office before you start harassing her."

The woman promptly helps/pulls me to my feet and starts off in the direction she came in, ordering Big Al and Gumiya about in her calm, authoritative voice. Keeping a tissue pressed to my chin, I do my best to keep up with her long strides and not fall over again.

As she leads me through a short flight of stairs to the second floor, I look around and see hallways and doors and doors and doors.

I'm busy looking out of the corners of my eyes when I hear music. Singing, guitars, pianos - and even the steady beating of a drum comes from behind those doors.

I decide that this is a wonderful school. And I dare to hope I can stay here.

* * *

**life. is. hectic. how the beep did it take me five months to get another chapter up? the next two chapters, however, are half-written right now so it should only take... say, a month to get them up. if I'm lucky. ashgklsagh I have trouble writing quickly.**

**also I kind of want to cry because this is so awkward and weirdly written. oh, well. enjoy, if you can! :DD**


	5. Chapter 4

I swallow.

"Good, Rin," Ms. Ann says. "You've played - how long?"

It was on the application, wasn't it? "Since I was six."

"And your mother taught you?"

I nod briefly, lowering my gaze to the keyboards. The pianos here are wonderful - large, grand things that emit the sweetest sounds that I've ever heard. My hands are still splayed over the keys, so I gather them and put them on my lap.

I do enjoy piano, but I hadn't really played it until mommy and I came to Japan. It was difficult to play, before.

I shake my head and concentrate on what Ms. Ann is saying. She's a tall, graceful woman, her long blonde hair pushed back with a headband and foaming down her back. Mr. Al said that she's to be my 'counselor' for year, and Gumiya's as well. She will explain about the school and help us through the process writing up our schedules for the year, and she will be the person we go to when we have problems or questions regarding our classes. Our advisor, in comparison, will be the teacher of the homeroom we are sorted into. Mr. Al explained that homerooms are sorted by age, and that each age group has eight homerooms.

"We'll put you into Piano 3B, then," she says, quickly filling out a sheet and handing it to me. Taking it, I see that it's just a basic impression of what my playing was like and what material 'Dr. Namine', my teacher, should cover. "I see you're one of our more academic students."

I look up at my counselor. I must've looked quite baffled, since Ms. Ann smiles and explains further.

"Some students choose to take only the three absolutely necessary classes, and fill up the five other classes with music, arts, or physical education classes. Some only take a few and go further with their academic classes. Like you; you're taking piano and you're trying out for choir, but that's it for music. No art, one phys-ed course. You haven't chosen yet?"

I shake my head, lowering my gaze to the floor. Ms. Ann's silver heels glint - she's a very elegant, stylish kind of woman. "I - I'm not allowed to participate in activities I might hurt myself in."

There's a light of understanding in Ms. Ann's eyes. "You could try dance. What do you think, Gumiya?"

Gumiya blinks, face blank. "Well. Eh. Introductory?"

I wince. Clearly I upset him quite badly when _I_ was upset. Though even with my ignorance about people, I thought it was as impolite to continuously ignore and subtly insult people who are trying to apologize as it is to force someone out of the room and lock them out. Are those two not similarly intruding social customs?

"_Manners,_" Ms. Ann says, then turns back to me. "The majority of students tend to take four academic classes, two or three musics, then fill the rest with art and phys-ed. Some students choose to take the bare minimum of actual studying and load themselves with art courses and after-school activities. Like Gumiya here. You're taking..." Ms. Ann's tailored eyebrow hitches up. "Dance, cello, ukulele, bass guitar, percussion. Plus you're trying out for three different sports. Are you studying at all?"

Gumiya seems to crack a grin, which surprises me. All this time he has been wearing various masks - bored, apathetic, tired, wary, disturbed. "I'm taking the required classes, for me. I'll probably be dropping ukulele, and take two dance classes instead. I actually had my dance audition while... Y'know."

While I was at the nurse's. My gaze drops a few more centimeters.

"You're... Ah." Ms. Ann seems to understand. "You've been allowed to skip Japanese this year?"

"As long as I meet the standards before I graduate," he says. "I've already covered the material up to where the required class would cover. I entered school early."

"I see," the tall woman glances over at me, blue eyes sharp and bright. "Would't you be able to do that?"

I've never heard of anything of the sort until now. Perhaps mommy forgot; I have to admit that she's not the most organized of people. "I don't know."

"You're from Canada. Ontario, was it? Is it reasonable to assume that your English is... Well, good?"

I hesitate, then nod. "I think so."

"Would you like me to try and get you out of your English classes?" Ms. Ann asks. "My son takes Spanish instead. Or you could choose to take one of the other foreign languages - French or Mandarin Chinese, or take another class entirely."

I'm not sure at first, but eventually decide that there won't be any harm in it. "Yes please, thank you."

Ms. Ann nods briskly, taking back my sheet and scribbling something on it before looking over Gumiya's profile sheet again. "You said you're trying out for piano?"

Gumiya nods, coming over to the piano. He stands there for almost a whole minute until I realize what he wants and hurriedly go back to my seat. I'm not used to dealing with people, and it is harder to go about doing it than I would've believed. But I do know that enemies are dangerous, so I must somehow make Gumiya less angry with me.

Gumiya glances at Ms. Ann, who nods. And then he dives straight into what I realize is Mozart's KV 617. As I listen, I realize that Gumiya is very, very good, far better than me, in fact. Ms. Ann obviously realizes this too, as her gaze turns contemplative and almost a little wistful.

Brushing a strand of blonde hair out of my eyes, I feel the bandage that Miss Mew put on my cut. After around an hour of switching between interrogating me and being almost excessively protective, she'd pronounced that I had neither a concussion or a broken bone and that the only things that I had to worry about was the cut and the bruise that darkened into life soon afterward.

"Just concentrate on maintaining that pretty face," she'd ordered me, perfect black fingernails tapping away at the keyboard as she wrote up some kind of form for my emergency visit.

I believe it was supposed to be funny or warmhearted or a comment along the lines of 'I like you and I want you to trust me and I hope to get close with you'. I smiled back at her.

I shake my head and concentrate on the last echoing notes of Gumiya's performance. He stands up, pushes his glasses up his nose. Ms. Ann says something congratulatory and he smiles, glances at me briefly.

He looks... Smug. That's not very nice.

"Class... 3A then, yes?" asks Ms. Ann, scribbling busily. "Or do you already have a class for Third?"

Gumiya consults his hastily-drawn up schedule. I glance at mine; Big Al came and gave it to me when I was ready to leave the nurse's office, while Gumiya seems to have gotten it when he was having his earlier auditions. Apparently it was a rough draft for a final schedules, just there so that our teachers would be able to see which blocks were empty for us and

"Not yet," Gumiya responds.

"Good.. 3A." Ms. Ann gives the form to Gumiya and turns to face both of us. "Now - Gumiya, you've got cello auditions, and Rin, you can stay here with me for your choir audition."

I nod slightly. Gumiya immediately grabs his backpack and heads out of the room, strides long and purposeful as if he knows exactly where he's going. And, I suppose, he does. He seems to know the school perfectly.

"Ever sung in a choir before?"

I turn. Ms. Ann is sitting in front of the piano now, long, elegant fingers resting on the keyboards. She reaches down and retrieves a folder from a large pile on the ground.

I shake my head.

"Well, then, let's warm up, then see your range. After that, we'll try out a few songs and see how you handle it."

Without further ado, Ms. Ann launches straight into warm-ups, her rich voice leading. I'm not quite... _Sure_ about my singing; I used to sing a lot when I was little, but it's only recently in preparation for this school that I've started again, and I've afraid I'm more than a little rusty.

I suppose it wouldn't matter, would it?

* * *

"Test's over. Put down your pencils, please!"

I put down my pencil and gather my hands in my lap. The silver-haired teacher gathers up our answer sheets for our Mathematics entry test. Stacking them on his desk, he assures us that the teachers will grade them and place us in classes A, B, or C.

"If any of you happen to fail to meet the standards for class C, you'll be placed in a lower year group," he informs us, voice flat and unfeeling. "Or listen to extra classes. On the other hand, if your level is far above the A for this year class, you will have the choice of joining the next year class or not taking the Mathematics class this year."

A bell rings - a beautiful orchestral rendition of _Für Elise_. The teacher - Mr. Honne Dell, I think - keeps us for a further five minutes, however, explaining the education system of Vocaloid Academy.

"That's it... I believe," the man collapses into a chair behind his large teacher's desk. "I trust you all know to follow the red arrows for the cafeteria?"

With a collective murmur of ascent, the two - or maybe three? - dozen new students slowly trickle out of the classroom, some of them already talking with each other, friendly, familiar.

I slide my arms into the puffy sleeves of my parka and remember that I'm supposed to change into the uniform. Up until now, I'd been so busy with auditions and tests and a panic attack that I hadn't had a chance to change. Everyone else was already all shades of black and white and gray with their ties pinpoints of color.

Clutching the package of clothing, I walk out of the classroom and manage to find a restroom - Ms. Ann told me that the blue arrows would lead to a restroom, red would lead to the cafeteria, and yellow would lead to the main theater. It would be wise to remember that, I suppose.

I don't usually wear skirts.

When I've finished changing, I take the clothes that I was wearing - parka, jeans, sweater - and store it in my locker, which Big Al pointed out for me in passing.

Then I follow the red arrow.

It's a few floors down, in what I guess would be the basement floor. The corridors are deserted, I guess that everyone is in the cafeteria, already eating. I think that, and let it slip away - I don't consider how many people is e_veryone_.

The small red arrows converge at one big red arrow, pointing towards a pair uhmm of large opaque glass doors. Carefully, I check that the sticker says 'pull' and tug on the cool metal handle.

This... Is the cafeteria.

It's an expansive, high-ceilinged room, with the far right and left walls made completely of glass, circular red benches scattered all throughout. At the far side is a large counter and lines for food, vending machines and soda machines, trash cans and people, people, people.

For a moment I stand dumbfounded, staring at the hordes of students walking to and fro, teachers scattered amongst them in twos and threes, carrying red trays stacked high with food, talking, bumping into each other, tripping, laughing, shouting, fighting - it's more people than I've ever seen in one place, and it's just a bit too much.

I duck out of the cafeteria and stand right next to the doors, wondering what I should do now. It would elicit attention - unwanted, no less - if I skipped lunch, but - would anyone miss me?

I _am_ new. And small. Easy to overlook, judging by the other students' actions. Will I risk it?

A girl barrels past me, throwing the doors open with a loud _bang_ with her red curls jiggling. I blink; a moment later, she pokes her head out of the cafeteria.

"You're not allowed out of the cafeteria until twelve thirty," she says. She's short, with firetruck-red hair tied in two twirly screwed-up shapes at either side of her head. I recall that I saw her earlier, with two other girls. Yes - she's the one with the bright red tie, although it seems to be moments away from flying away, so loosely tied it is.

Thinking all this, I fail to find an appropriate answer for this girl. I cannot tell her that the cafeteria _scares_ me. So I just look at her, painfully aware that it's something socially wrong and extremely awkward.

The girl blinks, then flashes me a huge, toothy smile. "Hey, you're a newbie, aren't ya? I'm Teto. Kasane Teto."

I nod cautiously, remembering her name from the list in the Administrations office. "Kagamine Rin."

Before I have a chance to step away, Teto lunges for my hand and gives it a rather forceful, exuberant shake. "Nice to meet you, Rin! I hear that there's lasagna, and that's always yummers. C'mon!"

She crashes into the door again, pushing rather than pulling, and drags me behind her. "It's not good for your record if you miss lunch, gal. Trust me!"

Under the loud instruction of Kasane Teto I pay for my lasagna and orange juice and stand in line for water. She seems to be aghast at my choice; the small girl stacked her tray with a large serving of lasagna, two cans of coke, six cookies, two brownies, a ham-and-cheese sandwich, and two apples. In all honesty, I've never seen a girl eat so much in one sitting, but I guess that maybe she's saving some of it for later.

"Tetooooo - "

A pink-haired girl appears behind Teto, face timidly curious and plate piled with lasagna and a number of different peach products.

"Momo!" Teto squeals, nearly dropping her tray. "Where did you come out of?" She says it like a declaration rather than a question.

Momo shrugs and smiles a little. "Defoko's waiting."

Teto turns to face me. "Rin - "

I hesitate. As helpful as Teto has been, I feel uncomfortable around her - well, I feel uncomfortable around _everyone_ at this point - and I do not wish to intrude in her friendship. After all, I just want to be part of the backdrop here; overlooked, invisible. "It's fine. Thank you, Teto."

The girl looks a little doubtful but she waves brightly and walks off with Momo.

When I finally get my water - there's only two water fountains and far too many people who want to get a drink, I look around, wondering whether there's anywhere to sit. There's an empty table at the far right wall, so I head right over to it and plop down, settle my backpack next to me.

I can see everyone from here.

Mommy told me not to be lonely.

I sit at the table, eat my lasagna, and realize that no, I don't feel particularly lonely. I'm too used to this - eating alone, never talking with anyone else unless I'm spoken to.

Being around such a large variety of people -

It's a privilege, and it is not one I plan to lose anytime soon.

* * *

**Ehhr yeah, kind of late. Hope you enjoyed! :D**


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